Strap and buckle assembling apparatus



Aug. 24, 1937. H. ALFANDRE STRAP AND BUCKLE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS FiledJune 10, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR f/HRRY KQQW' (1% ATTORNEY Aug.24, 1937.

H. ALFANDRE STRAP AND BUCKLE ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed June 10, 1935 2Sheets-Shee t 2 INVENTOR 78 HERRV /7LFfl/VDR'.

1o wim- M ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRAP AND BUCKLEASSEMBLING APPARATUS Harry Alfandre, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application June10, 1935. Serial N0. 25,957 11 Claims. (Cl. 223-49) This inventionrelates to a device for facilitating the insertion of straps or tapesthrough the openings in buckles or similar members. Although the deviceis adapted for other purposes, it is intended primarily for use in themanufacture of adjustable shoulder straps of the type extensivelyutilized in ladies undergarments.

In one well known construction of adjustable shoulder or similar straps,two strips of tape are looped through openings in a pair of buckles, one

buckle having a single eyelet and the other buckle having a doubleeyelet defined by thesides of the buckles and an intermediate bar. Inthe case of shoulder straps, the buckle eyelets are relatively small andit is difiicult and. time consuming to pass the ends of the tape throughthe eyelets, especially in the case of the double eyelet buckle becausethe strip of tape directly associated therewith for forming theadjustable loop is twice passed through the eyelets. Owing to thesedifliculties, the cost of the labor necessary to assemble the tapes withthe buckles in forming the adjustable loop has been disproportionatelylarge, and owing to the length of time necessary to assemble the buckleswith the tapes, production of the garments in which the adjustablestraps are used is frequently delayed. It is therefore the object of thepresent invention to eliminate these difficulties and delays, and tosubstantially reduce the cost of manufacture of adjustable shoulderstraps or similar articles.

With this object in view, I have constructed a device which greatlyfacilitates the insertion of the tapes through the buckles, therebyconsiderably reducing the cost of producing adjustable shoulder strapsand accelerating the production of the straps and the garments providedtherewith. For a complete understanding of the invention, reference isto be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side view of a device constituting oneembodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2.is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, on an enlargedscale, with parts broken away for the sake of clearness in illustration;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the device, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. l, on an enlargedscale;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, on an enlargedscale;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig.

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of buckles which may be assembledwith straps or tapes according to the present invention on an enlargedscale in the ratio 2:1;

Figs. 9 and 10 are end and plan views, respectively, of an adjustableshoulder strap of a well 5 known form in which the buckles shown inFigs.

'7 and 8 are utilized.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the apparatus here shown comprisesa frame which may include the top H) of a bench or table, a 10 bar l2fixed thereto, and a post I4 also fixed to said bench top in upstandingvertical relation thereto. Two pairs of jaws I6 and I8, respectively,are carried by the bar l2 and are arranged in vertically spaced relationbelow a blade 20 car- 15 ried by a rod 22. Said rod is movable inbearing openings 24 in the ends 25 of a U-shaped guide 26 which iscarried by a bracket 28 having its ends fixed to the bar l2 and to theguide 26 by screws 30.

A lever 32 for actuating the rod 22 is pivotally connected at the upperend of the post M by a pivot screw 34. The forward end of the lever 32has a pivotal connection 36 with the upper end of the rod 22 to permitarcuate movement of 25 said end of the lever, while the movement of therod is confined to a rectilinear path. As the lever 32 is disposedlaterally of the rod 22, a bracket 38 of inverted-L shape, which as hereshown is secured to the lever by rivets 40, is 0 utilized fortransmitting movement of the lever to the pivotal connection 36. As bestshown in Fig. 3, said pivotal connection comprises a fixed couplingmember 42 secured to the horizontal bracket arm 39 and an H-shapedcoupling mem- 35 ber 44 pivotally secured to the fixed coupling member42 and to the upper end of the rod 22 by pivot pins 46 and 48,respectively.

For the purpose of preventing the rod 22 from turning in the bearingopenings 24, guide mem- 40 bers 50 are adjustabiy secured to said rod inspaced relation by screws 52. Each guide member 50 has a fiat endsurface 54 in slidable engage.- ment with a corresponding flat surface56 on the guide member 26. In addition to their function 45 as guidesfor the rod 22, the members 50 also constitute stop means to limit themovement of the rod 22. in both directions, the upper member 50constituting a stop member to limit the movement of the rod upwardly orto retracted position and the lower member 50 constituting a stop memberto limit the movement of the rod downwardly or to projected position.

A tension spring 56 is secured by eyelet screws 60 to the rear end ofthe lever 32 and to the bench 55 I8 for resiliently opposing themovement of said lever and'the rod 22 to work engagin P sition and forreturning said rod to retracted position. A pull member 62, which mayconsist of a cord, chain, or rod, is secured at one end to the lever 82and at its lower end may be connected to a foot treadle (not shown) foroperating the lever 82 to move the rod 22 and the blade 28 carriedthereby to projected position against the force of the spring 58.

Each pair of jaws I6 and I8 comprises fixed and movable opposed jawmembers 64 and 88, respectively, consisting of relatively thin strips ofmetal having their rear portions positioned within slots 68 in the sidesof the bar I2. The jaw members 64 are secured in fixed relation in saidslotted portion of the bar I2 by pins I8, while each movable jaw member66 is mounted for movement within its companion slot 68 on a pivot pinI2 and is urged toward its companion fixed jaw member 64 by acompression spring I4 which is positioned within a hole I6 in the bar I2and engages the rear edge of said movable jaw member. A combined stopand guide member I8 is fixed to each of the stationary jaw members 64 inspaced relation to the free ends of the latter and is provided with aguide opening 88 in which the free end portion of the movable jaw member66 is movably received, as best shown in Fig. 4. The vertical wall 82 ofthe opening 88 constitutes a stop for the movable jaw 86. Thus, thecompanion jaws 64 and 66 of each pair of jaws I6 and I8 extend forwardlyin spaced relation providing at the free ends of each pair of jaws afront opening for the insertion and the removal of the buckles withwhich the tapes are to be assembled. The forward inner edges of the jaws64 and 66 have grooves 61 to receive the sides of the buckles. As thepairs of jaws I6 and I8 are intended to receive buckles of differentwidths, the upper pair of jaws I6 are normally more widely spaced thanthe lower pair of jaws I8, and for this purpose, the intermediateportions 84 of the members I8 are of different widths, as illustrated inFig. 3. Thus, referring to Fig. 5, a double eyelet buckle 85 is receivedbetween the jaws 64 and 66 of the upper pair I6, while a single eyeletbuckle 88 is received between the jaws 64 and 66 of the lower pair I8.It will be observed that although the companion jaws of the upper andlower pairs are differently spaced, the arrangement is such that theopenings 81 in the double eyelet buckle 85 is in vertical alignment withthe opening 89 in the single eyelet buckle 88. When the buckles areinserted in the jaws through the open ends of the latter, they are movedinto engagement with the intermediate portions 84 of the members I8which thus constitute means to position the buckles within the jaws.

As the ends of the buckles are rounded, the buckles are readily insertedbetween the jaws by engaging their rounded ends with the free ends ofthe jaws in the grooves 61 and by pressing on the opposite ends of thebuckles, the movable jaw members yielding to the pressure thus exertedand moving away from the fixed jaw members to permit the buckles toenter between the jaws without necessitating a separate movement of themovable jaws and making it unnecessary to perform a separate operationin holding the jaws apart while the buckles are inserted. Similarly,after the tapes are inserted through the openings, the buckles can bereadily removed through the front open ends of the jaws by merelypulling the buckles through said openings.

In accordance with the present invention, a holder 88 for thebuckle-equipped straps is mounted on the frame of the apparatus. Theholder 88 comprises a round rod 82 having a refiexed end portion 84pivotally mounted within an opening 86 in the bar I2 and adjustablysecured in said opening by a wing-screw 88, the other end 88 of the rod82 extending vertically and being provided with a socket I88 withinwhich there is secured a slender rod I82 which may be in the form of aneedle or pointed pin, on which the ends of one of the straps loopedthrough the opening 88 of the buckle 88 may be held as illustrated inFig. 5.

In using the present device for the purpose of assembling the buckleswith the straps and in forming the adjustable loop in one of the straps,a single eyelet buckle 88 is inserted between the lower pair of jaws I8.One of the strap sections is then placed on the jaws 64 and 66 over theopening in the buckle held thereby, and the lever 82 is then actuated todepress the rod 22 to project the blade 28 in engagement with the strapand through the opening in the buckle, thereby forcing the strap throughthe buckle opening. The ends of the strap which have, in this manner,been looped through the buckle are then impaled on the pin I82 asillustrated in Fig. 5 so that the intermediate folded portion I84 of thestrap is I held at one side of the buckle opening. Next the doubleeyelet buckle 85 is inserted between the upper pair of jaws I6. Theother strap section is then threaded through the opening 86 by passingone end of the strap upwardly through said opening, and a suitablelength of the strap thus passed through the opening 86 is positionedover the buckle opening 81, after which the blade 28 is'projected intoengagement with said overlying portion of the strap, forcing the latterthrough the buckle opening 81 of the buckle 85 and also through thebuckle opening 88 of the buckle 88. Then the portion of the strap thuspassed through the buckle openings 81 and 88 in the two buckles is againthreaded through the buckle opening 86 and is again disposed inoverlying relation with respect to the buckle opening 88, after whichthe blade 28 is again projected to engage the last mentioned overlyingportion of the strap to force the latter through the buckle opening 81,but not through the open ing 88 in the buckle 88. In this manner, thetwo buckles are assembled with the strap and an adjustable loop isformed in the strap section which is looped through both of the buckles.The buckles thus assembled with the straps are then removed from thejaws, and may be left suspendui on the pin I82 of the holder 88.

A well known form of adjustable strap which is produced according to thepresent invention is illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10. This adjustablestrap comprises a strap section I83 which is threaded through theopening 88 oi the single eyelet buckle 88 in the manner described aboveand a strap section I 86 threaded through the openings in both bucklesto provide the adjustable loop I88. It will be understood, however, thatthe present apparatus may be utilized with other types of buckles andother types of straps or tapes.

It is thus seen that the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein iswell adapted to accomplish the objects of the invention. It will beunderstood, however, that the invention is capable of other embodimentsand that in the present embodiment certain changes in the constructionand arrangement of parts may be made and that certain parts may be usedwithout others. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the preciseconstruction herein shown and described, ex

5 cept as may be required by the appended claims and the prior art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States is:

1 1. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a plurality ofpairs of jaws positioned on said frame, the jaws of each pair beingconstructed and arranged to hold a buckle having an opening therethroughwith an opening of the 5 buckle held by one pair of jaws in alignmentwith the opening in a buckle held by another pair of jaws, the jaws ofeach pair having confronting edges between which the buckle is held, anda number movable between and transversely of go said confronting edgesfor threading a strap through the openings in the buckles held by saidpairs of jaws, said member being normally free from engagement with saidstrap and movable in one direction to engage the strap and force the 25same through the buckle openings and movable in the opposite directionaway from said strap :vithout retracting the latter through saidopenngs.

2. A device of the class described comprising a 30 frame, a plurality ofpairs of jaws positioned on said frame, the jaws of each pair beingrelatively movable and constructed and arranged to hold a buckle havingan opening therethrough with an opening of the buckle held by one pairof jaws 35 in alignment with the opening in a buckle held by anotherpair of jaws, the jaws of each pair having confronting edges betweenwhich the buckle is held, and a member movable between and transverselyof said confronting edges for threading o a strap through the openingsin the buckles held by said pairs of jaws, said member being normallyfree from engagement with said strap and movable in one direction toengage the strap and force the same through the buckle openings and amovable in the opposite direction away from said strap withoutretracting the latter through said openings.

3. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a plurality ofpairs of jaws positioned 50 on said frame, one of the jaws of each pairbeing movable with respect to its companion jaw, spring means associatedwith each movable jaw to yieldingly oppose its movement in onedirection, the jaws of each pair being constructed and 55 arranged tohold a buckle having an opening therethrough with an opening of thebuckle held by one pair of jaws in alignment with the opening in abuckle held by another pair of jaws, the jaws of each pair havingconfronting edges be- 40 tween which the buckle is held, and a membermovable between and transversely of said confronting edges for threadinga strap through the openings in the buckles held. by said pairs of jaws,said member being normally free from 5 engagement with said strap andmovable in one direction to engage the strap and force the same throughthe buckle openi 1 movable in the oppositedirection away id strapwithout retracting the latter through said openings.

4. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a holderpositioned on said frame and constructed and arranged to receive amember having an opening therethrough, said holder comprising partsrelatively movable in a single 75 plane and having confronting edgesadapted to grip said member therebetween and resilient means foryieldingly urging one of said parts toward the other to yieldinglyengage said member, and a reciprocating member movable between andtransversely of said confronting edges for threading a strap throughsaid opening, said reciprocating member being normally free fromengagement with said strap and movable in one direction to engage thestrap and force the same through said opening and movable in theopposite direction away from said strap without retracting the latterthrough said opening.

- 5. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a holder havingspaced jaws positioned on said frame and constructed and arranged toreceive' an eyelet buckle therebetween, a blade movable transversely ofsaid jaws and having a dull free edge engageable with a strap forinserting the latter through the eyelet of said buckle, a reciprocatingrod carrying said blade, a guide for said rod, a pivoted lever foractuating said rod, and means for connecting said rod in movablerelation to said lever.

6. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a holder havingspaced jaws positioned on said frame and constructed and arranged toreceive an eyelet buckle, a blade movable transversely of said jaws andhaving a dull free edge engageable with a strap for inserting the latterthrough the eyelet of said buckle, a reciprocating rod carrying saidblade, a guide for said rod, a pivoted lever for actuating said rod, anda connection between said lever and rod comprising a link pivoted tosaid rod.

'7. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a plurality ofpairs of jaws positioned on said frame, the jaws of each pair beingconst cted and arranged to hold a buckle having an opening therethroughwith an opening of the buckle held by one pair of jaws in alignment withthe opening in a buckle held by another pair of jaws, the jaws of eachpair having confronting edges between which the buckle is held, a blademovable transversely of said jaws and having a dull free edge engageablewith a strap for inserting the latter through the openings in thebuckles, a reciprocating rod carrying said blade, a guide for said rod,a pivoted lever for actuating said rod to reciprocate in said guide, andmeans for connecting said rod in movable relation to said lever.

8. Apparatus for facilitating the assembly of a plurality of aperturedmembers with strips of tape to form an adjustable strap, said apparatuscomprising means for releasably holding two apertured members in fixedspaced relation with apertures in the two members in alignment, incombination with means adapted to engage a strip of tape and force thesame through the aligned apertures of the two members comprising amember normally free from engagement with said strip and movable in onedirection to engage the latter and movable in the opposite directionaway from said strip without retracting the same through said apertures.

9. Apparatus for facilitating the assembly of plurality of aperturedmembers with strips of tape to form an adjustable strap, said apparatuscomprising a frame, means on the frame for releasably holding twoapertured members in fixed spaced relation with apertures in the twomembers in alignment, in combination with means mounted on said frameand movable therein adapted to engage a strip of tape and force the samethrough the aligned apertures of the two members comprising a membernormally free from engagement with said strip and movable in onedirection to engage the latter and movable in the opposite directionaway from said strip without retracting the same through said apertures.

10. .A device of the class described comprising a frame, a plurality ofspaced pairs of jaws positioned on said frame, the jaws of each pairbeing adapted to hold a buckle having an opening therethrough with anopening of the buckle held by one pair of laws in alignment with theopening in a buckle held by another pair oi! jaws to permit thesubstantially simultaneous insertion of a strap through the alignedopenings in the buckles held by said pair of jaws, the jaws oi. eachpair having spaced confronting edges provided with grooves to receivethe opposite edge portions of the buckles and means for inserting astrap 20 through said aligned buckle openings comprising a membernormally free from engagement with said strap and having a free dullend, said member being movable in one direction for engagement of saiddull end with the strap for S5 forcing the latter through said openingsand movable in the opposite direction away from said strap and withoutretracting the latter through said openings.

11. A device of the class described comprising a frame, a plurality oi!spaced pairs of jaws positioned on said frame, the jaws of each pairbeing adapted to hold a buckle having an opening therethrough with anopening 0! the buckle held by one pair of jaws in alignment with theopening in a buckle held by another pair of jaws to permit thesubstantially simultaneous insertion of a strap through the alignedopenings in the buckles held by said pair of jaws, the jaws of each pairhaving spaced confronting edges provided with grooves to receive theopposite edge portions of the buckles, said grooves having open forwardends to permit the removal of the buckles from said jaws by moving saidbuckles longitudinally of the grooves toward their open ends while saidbuckles are engaged by said jaws, and means for inserting a strapthrough said aligned buckle openings comprising a member normally freefrom engagement with said strap and having a tree dull end, said memberbeing movable in one direction for engagement of said dull end with thestrap for forcing the latter through said openings and movable in theopposite direction away from said strap and without retracting thelatter through said openings.

HARRY ALFANDRE.

